Queensland Government announces step forward on long delayed Brisbane Cross River Rail project

IS AUSTRALIA’S most on-again, off-again public transport project finally about to happen? Probably not. here’s why.

IF THEY’D started building Brisbane’s $5 billion new rail project when it was first announced it would probably be open today.

The long and tortuous journey of the city Cross River Rail line took a step forward on Thursday with Acting Premier Jackie Trad announcing the creation of a “delivery authority” to manage the project.

But like a broken train, the project has been brought to a screeching halt plenty of times in the last six years with no guarantee it will go ahead now.

Even its supporters have warned that if it doesn’t receive unanimous political support it will fail to make it beyond a pipe dream, while Brisbane’s transport system seizes up.

So far, the omens don’t look good with the Opposition labelling Thursday’s announcement as a “stunt” and just “more talk”.

Federal Opposition leader Bill Shorten, visiting Queensland, said it was Labor’s number one infrastructure priority for the state and Australia’s cash-rich superannuation funds should put their hands in their pockets to pay for it.

The project was first proposed in late 2010 by the Bligh Labor government before being scuttled when the Newman government came to power in 2012. Former Premier Peter Beattie said there was a need for another river rail crossing as early as 2008.

A 2010 impression of Brisbane’s Cross River Rail line.

RAIL DEMAND TO TRIPLE

Meanwhile, in NSW the $10bn Sydney Metro North West project is well underway with trains due to start running in 2019.

Ms Trad said the delivery authority would set up a board with statutory powers, made up of members from all tiers of government and the private sector, to ensure the project goes ahead.

“We can only deliver this project with everybody at the table, with everybody making a contribution,” she said.

Ms Trad also announced a new route for the project, currently estimated to cost about $5.2 billion.

Trains will dive underground at Dutton Park, south of the Brisbane River, and emerge — six kilometres later — in Bowen Hills just north of the CBD. Subterranean stations would be built at Boggo Rd, The Gabba, Albert St, Roma St and Exhibition.

When open, it will provide an additional route for trains to cross the CBD freeing up capacity on the current railway line which passes through Central station.

Government modelling suggests rail demand will nearly triple by 2026 and the project will help remove 13,500 people a day from the city’s roads by then.

Ms Trad conceded the business case wouldn’t be finished until the middle of the year.

She refused to say what the funding split between the state and federal Governments would look like and whether the state was planning to increase debt or borrowings to pay for the infrastructure project.

“I’m not ruling anything out, I’m not ruling anything in,” she said.

“This is a key project for Queensland and we will make sure it gets its full attention and consideration through the state budget process.”

L to R, Minister for Transport Stirling Hinchliffe and Acting Premier Jackie Trad, unveil the new design and alignment for Queensland’s Cross River Rail at Bowen Hills Queensland Rail control building. Picture: Steve Pohlner

‘CLEARLY A STUNT’

Mr Shorten said the super industry should step up and invest in the rail line.

“Some of our superannuation money is in fact going to infrastructure investment overseas when there’s perfectly good projects to be built and funded in Australia.”

CEO of the Transport and Tourism Forum, Margy Osmond, welcomed the announcement of a new delivery authority but said it would only ever be built if all sides came on board the new train plan.

“The key to making sure that this project stops being a political football is to secure bipartisan support right across the board — we need Governments and oppositions at all levels to agree that this project is too important for the economic future of Brisbane and southeast Queensland to be delayed any further.”

But opposition infrastructure spokesman Tim Nicholls said Labor was dragging the chain on what was supposed to be its priority project.

“We don’t have a plan, we don’t have a funding source, we don’t have a start date — all we have is more talk,” Mr Nicholls said.

“This is quite clearly a stunt designed to support Bill Shorten on his pop-up trip to southeast Queensland this morning.”

Opposition transport spokesman Scott Emerson also questioned why the realigned track proposes a CBD station in Albert St, given the area is notorious for flooding.

The plan also isn’t popular among state and federal MPs based in north Queensland.

“What does north Queensland have? Nothing,” Kennedy MP Bob Katter said.

“We struggle to fund even one road.”

Transport Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said it was vital to have the infrastructure in place before congestion hits unsustainable levels within 10 years.

“We build Cross River Rail and our city can become a mass-transit city,” Mr Hinchliffe said.

“We don’t build it and we’ll be sitting in traffic for years.”

- with AAP.